Google plans to police apps for Android TV

By Christine Persaud November 19, 2014

google vet quality apps android tv — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google will now start vetting apps submitted through its Play Store for Android TV to ensure they meet strict quality standards, according to Android Police.

Apple has long employed such a practice, ensuring that iOS apps meet its requirements, work well on its platform, and don’t contain questionable content. In Google’s case, however, the company has typically just removed apps from its store if an issue arises. But now, the company wants to ensure that apps can be used with a D-pad or Gamepad for gaming. Naturally, if an app doesn’t work well with these controllers, it reflects negatively on the Android platform as a whole. So a bit of QC testing for usability is a good thing.

This proactive measure will help clear the Store of wonky apps, ensuring that all apps work seamlessly on the platform. But on the flipside, it will also make it more difficult for developers to get in. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And keep in mind that this screening process will only apply to Android TV apps not other Play Store apps.

What prompted the decision? Likely bad memories from Google TV, which initially launched with a host of apps that did not work well with it. This will hopefully make the Android TV launch run a lot smoother. It also explains why there were considerably fewer apps available for the Nexus player when it first came out.

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Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…

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